It didn't happen in August, it didn't happen in September, and in October... FC Barcelona itself gave up on trying to return to Camp Nou, which means that the delay compared to what was promised will reach one year. There are three official reasons for this.

Plan A is out, time for plan A+B

FC Barcelona will aim to return to the Spotify Camp Nou once the corresponding license for phase 1B has also been obtained, the club announced on Tuesday. This means that the Blaugrana will only return home once the Lateral, Tribuna, and Gol Sud stands – with a total capacity of 45,000 seats – are ready to welcome fans.

Previously, the Catalan club's management plan included a return in three phases:

• Phase 1A: opening of Tribuna and Gol Sud stands; capacity of 27,000 seats
• Phase 1B: opening of Lateral stand; capacity of 45,000 seats
• Phase 1C: opening of Gol Nord stand; capacity of 60,000 seats.

Skipping phase 1A means that the club's return will most likely be delayed until November, a year after the partial inauguration of Camp Nou promised by President Joan Laporta in 2022. Hansi Flick's team will play their October matches against Girona and Olympiacos at Montjuïc, and their next chance to return to their home ground will be against Elche (November 2), Athletic Bilbao (November 23), or Alavés (November 30). However, Barcelona does not guarantee that the return will take place at that time.

© FC Barcelona | Laporta originally promised that Barca would return to Camp Nou on November 29, 2024, on the club's 125th anniversary.

Three official reasons... and one behind-the-scenes explanation

In its announcement, the club explains that the decision is due to delays in phase 1A, which make it close to phase 1B. Another factor is the desire to secure additional days to correct any shortcomings, and the final reason is money. Playing in front of 50,000 spectators at Montjuïc brings in much more revenue than playing in front of 27,000 spectators at Camp Nou.

But there is another reason that Blaugrana does not mention. Behind the scenes, it is said that although UEFA will allow FC Barcelona to move from Montjuïc to Camp Nou, it requires the opening of the Lateral stand, which means completing phase 1B. If Camp Nou were to open with a capacity of 27,000, Champions League matches would still have to be played at Montjuïc. Meanwhile, the club's management has repeatedly promised that they will not play at two stadiums simultaneously.

© FC Barcelona | So far, the authorities have not allowed the stadium to open for safety reasons. In their opinion, the entrances and emergency exits are not yet ready.